Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Holiday Lighting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clifton council OKs up to $750 toward community holiday-lighting costs, defers larger tree decisions
Summary
At a Dec. 15 special meeting, the Clifton Town Council voted unanimously to contribute up to $750 toward community fundraising for the Ayre Square holiday tree lights, reviewed arborist recommendations and contractor proposals, and deferred broader decisions about tree replacement and long-term maintenance to a regular meeting.
The Clifton Town Council voted unanimously Dec. 15 to approve a one-time contribution of up to $750 to help cover the town’s share of a planned holiday-tree lighting, while postponing broader decisions about replacing or replanting the square’s Norway spruce.
The council’s action came after the meeting packet included a report from Laura McDonald, chair of the Committee on the Environment, and attachments summarizing a 2018 review by Fairfax County Urban Forester Ian Fuze and a maintenance proposal from Independence Landscape & Lawn Care. Mayor William Hollaway moved “to approve an expenditure of up to $750, to be contributed to whatever ultimate sum the community is raising to meet the $1,350 total amount needed to pay for the placement and removal of the lights, to remain until approximately January 15, 2021,” and Councilmember Darrell Poe seconded the motion. The roll-call vote was recorded as Hollaway: Aye; Poe: Aye; McDonald: Aye; Screen: Aye; Effros: Aye; Pline: Aye.
Why it matters: packet materials flagged tree-health and maintenance issues in Ayre Square and Clifton Park, including recommendations to remove railroad ties around the Norway spruce, to avoid leaving strings of lights up year-round because that can harm the tree, and to consider replacement species or alternate ceremony locations if the spruce is declining. The council did not take final action on those longer-term options and said they should be discussed at a forthcoming regular meeting.
Packet highlights and local response: McDonald’s submission attached the 2018 tree-and-landscape maintenance survey and a scope-of-work proposal from Independence Landscape & Lawn Care that listed planting, pruning and regular turf work across Ayre Square, Clifton Park and the Triangle. The Independence proposal included estimated mowing and maintenance schedules and an estimated total cost for the listed services. During public remarks limited to the lighting topic, resident Donna Netschert said she would work with other community volunteers to coordinate fundraising logistics and the work order for installation and removal.
What the vote covered and next steps: the council’s approved $750 commitment is intended to be a contribution toward a community-raised total of $1,350 for placement and removal of holiday lights; the town set that contribution to remain available until about Jan. 15, 2021. Council members said fuller discussion of whether to replace the existing tree, relocate the ceremony to the park, or pursue alternate species and long-term maintenance should take place at a regular meeting with the full packet and contractor proposals on hand. No binding contract for plantings or long-term maintenance was authorized at the special meeting.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to contribute up to $750 toward holiday-tree lighting costs. Mover: Mayor William Hollaway; Second: Councilmember Darrell Poe. Vote: 6-0 (Hollaway, Poe, McDonald, Screen, Effros, Pline — Aye). Outcome: approved.
- Motion to adjourn. Mover: Councilmember Darrell Poe; Second: Councilmember Steve Effros. Vote: 6-0. Outcome: approved. The meeting adjourned at 8:06 p.m.
